


black cat

by moonlikeyou



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Misunderstandings, cat lady jb, jb is shy and awkward and yugyeom is a bit dim :(, yugbam are best friends, yugyeom a whole fool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 12:59:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16118981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlikeyou/pseuds/moonlikeyou
Summary: yugyeom is convinced his neighbour is a witch. he's quiet, mysterious and he has like 20 cats. besides, no one can be this gorgeous without some supernatural help, right? so when jaebum rings at his door on halloween night, yugyeom is sure he's about to be enchanted.or one of jaebum's cats goes missing and yugyeom is sure the funny feeling he gets around jaebum is magic





	black cat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bijyu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bijyu/gifts).



> thank you for the great prompt!! i had a lot of fun writing this fic and hopefully i didn't make their dynamic too weird :0000000   
> (me, close to finishing the fic: wait is the ship name for jb x yg yugbum *squints at doc named jaegyeom*)

The first time Yugyeom meets Jaebum, he nearly shits his pants.

 

It’s not like he didn’t know about the new neighbour moving into the apartment next to his, but with what seemed like twenty cat beds and towers moved into the apartment next door, he would’ve thought that his new neighbour was some kind of crazed cat lady. 

 

“Wow,” Bambam remarks when he comes over to Yugyeom’s to find the hallway cramped by various cat products. “Your new neighbour probably has like, twenty cats. I have three cats, and I don’t even need one-fourth of that stuff.” 

 

“I don’t mind cats, cats are cute,” Yugyeom had shrugged, ”I don’t really care as long as they aren’t some uptight old lady.”

 

Yugyeom had expected his neighbour to be an old-ish cat lady, hopefully sweet and not at all grumpy. But when he looks outside the window one morning, he finds his new neighbour to be the exact opposite. 

 

Yugyeom’s living room window is directly opposite his neighbour’s kitchen, and he’s just lazy on the sofa, watching an old Friends rerun when a strong smell, faintly spicy and strangely comforting, comes from next door. 

 

Curious, Yugyeom lifts up the curtains, leaving a tiny slit where he can peak into his neighbour’s house- the curtains are usually closed for a good reason, the past tenants, a young couple, enjoyed having occasional sexual escapades in the kitchen, resulting in a few embarrassing incidents. 

 

Yugyeom’s new neighbour is  _ hot _ . 

 

Hot New Neighbour (HNN for short, as Yugyeom has now dubbed him) has tousled black hair that hangs into his eyes a little, and Yugyeom can totally see his muscles ripple through his tight black tee as he reaches up to flick those annoying strands away from his eyes. 

 

Yugyeom squints- HNN is stirring something in a pot, adding in sprinkles of herbs as he stares into the pot. Whatever that is, it smells good, and Yugyeom can’t help but inhale in the aroma that spreads to his apartment. 

 

Okay, bad move. HNN looks up, startled- he must have Spiderman senses or something, because there’s no way he could've heard that- and Yugyeom ducks back down, snapping the curtains shut in a flash. 

 

The last thing Yugyeom notices about Mr Hot New Neighbour is a birthmark- tiny twin moles, aligned on his left eyelid, making him look mysterious and even more handsome, if that was even possible. 

 

Man, Yugyeom was in for a long ride. 

 

☆’.･.･:★’.･.･:☆’.･.･:★

 

“He sounds like a witch or something-” Bambam says as they step into a lift, arms weighted down by bags full of snacks and drinks. “He was probably boiling some kinda potion in his cauldron to kill you.” 

 

“Sounds exciting,” Yugyeom snorts, punching the lift button. “He was hot though, I’d give him that.” “ _ Wow, I can’t believe Yugyeom thinks his neighbour is hot! _ ” Bambam clutches his chest dramatically,”Dude, you’ve said that over fifty times on the way.” 

 

“He was really good-looking okay, give me a brea-” Yugyeom retorts as the lift doors slide open, and they come face to face with -what the hell- HNN himself. 

 

Yugyeom stares- he can’t help it, his neighbour looks like Adonis himself even though he’s wearing some kind of weird, flappy shirt.  _ Was that a cape? _ He can’t bring himself to care, though, not when HNN looks gorgeous, dark,  _ dark _ eyes staring straight into his soul. 

 

Yugyeom flinches, cheeks flaming once he realises that he’s been spacing out. He shifts his gaze away with some difficulty, following Bambam out of the lift. 

 

HNN doesn’t seem to mind though, flashing Yugyeom a small smile (!!!!!!!) as he walks past him into the lift. Yugyeom holds his breath until the lift doors slam shut, and Bambam gives him an unimpressed look, ”That’s the guy?” 

 

“Yeah,” Yugyeom exhales, trying not to squeal as they shuffle to his apartment. “He smiled at me!” It takes him a few times to fit his key into the door, still trembling from actually  _ interacting _ with HNN. Bambam sighs, taking the keys from Yugyeom and slotting them neatly in the keyhole when he nearly drops them.

 

“Thanks,” Yugyeom nudges the door shut after Bambam, placing their bubble tea and takeout on the table. “He’s not even that hot,” Bambam rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning as he puts down their snacks. 

 

“Right,” Yugyeom doesn’t miss a beat, edging Bambam’s taro milk tea towards the edge of the table. “And I’m just going to  _ accidentally _ drop your-” “Fuck-” Bambam lunges at his precious milk tea as Yugyeom bursts into laughter, nearly crying as Bambam cuddles his tea like its a newborn baby. 

 

“Sorry I don’t like goths,” Bambam sticks his tongue out at Yugyeom, who ignores him in favour of digging through a shopping bag. “Where did our shrimp chips go?” He asks, but Bambam remains forever unhelpful, ”Maybe your neighbour, Marilyn Manson himself, stole them.” 

 

Yugyeom rolls his eyes, ”I am never telling you about anyone I like anymore.” “Wait-” Bambam grabs the bag from Yugyeom, ”You like Emo Wizard?” Yugyeom panics, cheeks flushing red as he feels his face heat up, ”N-no, I just think he’s hot-”

 

“Aw,” Bambam doesn’t laugh, much to Yugyeom’s surprise. Instead, he puts down the jelly beans he’s holding to pat Yugyeom’s head lightly. Yugyeom feels just a little like a dog, but he leans into the familiar touch anyway. “Our Yugyeom’s really out here getting crushes, huh?” 

 

“No- maybe, I don’t know yet,” Yugyeom mumbles, but Bambam only laughs, reaching up to ruffle his hair affectionately. “You’ll be getting matching emo tattoos with Andy Biersack in n-”

 

“Oh, shut up.” 

 

☆’.･.･:★’.･.･:☆’.･.･:★

 

Yugyeom tries his best to not think about HNN again, a desperate attempt at stopping his feelings from further fostering. But it’s hard not to let his mind wander, especially when he falls sick. 

 

Nose clogged and voice nasally, Yugyeom rots away at home. The movie collection that Bambam lends him doesn’t last long, and Yugyeom finds himself scrolling aimlessly on Youtube, entertaining himself with Halloween hacks and the occasional makeup tutorial. He can’t even go to dance class with Bambam and their friend Ten, and he feels like he’s died a little bit inside, bones rusting from lack of exercise. 

 

His friends visit occasionally, but Yugyeom spends most of his time moping at home alone, and it sucks. He’s cleaned the entire apartment twice, learned a bunch of Kpop dance covers, and taken enough medicine to last a lifetime, but his cold persists stubbornly. 

 

To make things worse, Yugyeom’s sleep schedule is completely fucked up. He finds himself taking naps after lunch, dozing until he wakes up near midnight, surprisingly energetic. Yugyeom usually watches whatever’s on the television then, wrapped in a bundle of blankets on the couch until he falls asleep again. 

 

(Sometimes Yugyeom thinks he sees light coming from HNN’s apartment at the crack of dawn, but it could very well be his imagination.)

 

Yugyeom runs out of meds on the fourth day of his new lifestyle, and begrudgingly leaves the house to buy more, still sneezing every 15 seconds. Bambam and Ten haven’t been over, busy helping out with the junior dance showcase at the dance school, and Yugyeom feels lonelier than ever. 

 

Yugyeom’s motions are sluggish as he changes into clothes that aren’t pyjamas for the first time in days, and even the short walk to the corner convenience store seems taxing for some reason. By the time the automatic doors slide open for his entrance, he just wants a good nap. 

 

The lighting in the store is too bright for Yugyeom, and he blinks before shuffling to the medicine rack, head hung low. He grabs a handful of cough drops and flu medicine quickly, opting for the usual brands. He heads for the cashier right away, not wanting to waste more time, but he sneezes, nearly dropping his meds. 

 

_ What a mess, _ Yugyeom thinks as he wipes away snot on his face quickly, bending down to retrieve his meds. But before he can reach out for his Ricola cough drops, someone else bends down and hands them to him. 

 

“Thanks-” Yugyeom coughs meekly, looking up to see his mysterious saviour to thank them only to find HNN in the flesh, giving Yugyeom a thoughtful look. Yugyeom nearly drops his meds again, coughing violently, but HNN is still there when he finally manages to stand up straight. 

 

_ Not a hallucination, then _ , Yugyeom decides sadly, belatedly realising that he probably looks like shit, face blotched and nose red like fucking Rudolph. “Are you okay?” HNN asks, and Yugyeom’s life flashes in front of his eyes. 

 

“Not really,” He bleats, grossed out by his own self, but HNN doesn’t seem bothered, smiling slightly as he sniffs. “Sorry I nearly sneezed on you, Mr Neighbour-” 

 

“Jaebum,” HNN blinks, and Yugyeom can’t help but stare at his eye moles, which look even prettier under close scrutinization. “I’m Jaebum, not that you asked, but I just-” 

 

Jaebum looks awkward but cute in a flustered way, and Yugyeom can’t help but snort a little. “I’m Yugyeom, and it’s okay, hyung-” The honorific slips out before Yugyeom notices, and he cringes- he didn’t even know whether Hot Neighbour Jaebum was older than him, and this was, like, their first proper conversation, he probably thought Yugyeom was trying too hard or something-

 

Jaebum’s grin only broadens, though, and he feels alert for the first time in days as Jaebum toys with an ice cream carton in his hands- he’s buying chocolate ice cream, and Yugyeom feels himself falling in love. 

 

“Get well soon, Yugyeom,” Jaebum says, and Yugyeom finds himself nodding along dumbly. “Some  eucalyptus oil should do the trick.” Jaebum waves to Yugyeom as he exits the store, and Yugyeom nearly drops his medicine for the third time as he lifts a hand to wave back shyly. 

 

Even Jaebum’s back is wide, impossibly attractive, and Yugyeom stares at his back for a lingering moment, dazed. 

 

Yugyeom only jerks back to life when the cashier- an annoyed-looking man whose name tag reads Mark- snaps irritably, “Next please-” 

 

“Sorry, sorry-” Yugyeom scrambles to pay, leaving all thoughts of Jaebum behind. 

 

☆’.･.･:★’.･.･:☆’.･.･:★

 

“Jaebum is definitely a witch,” Yugyeom announces the next time he’s over at Bambam’s place. Frowning, Bambam only gives him a weird look over a carton of mac and cheese, ”What’s a Jaebum?” 

 

“My hot neighbour,” Yugyeom snatches the carton away, bursting to tell Bambam about his witchy findings. “Remember?” Nonplussed, Bambam reaches for a bag of chips, resting by Yugyeom’s side, ”Ooooh, Ray Toro?” 

 

“Stop,” Yugyeom hits Bambam with a cushion, laughing. He’s completely recovered from his cold, and he’s back to messing around with Bambam on a daily basis. “I’m serious.” 

 

“Yeah, and I’m Mariah Carey,” Bambam rolls his eyes, mouth full of chips. “And I guess he cured you with his emo magic, too?” “Actually,” Yugyeom shoves him again, “He did help.” 

 

“Oh shit no way,” Bambam sits up a little straighter, eying Yugyeom weirdly. “Your wet dreams about him have gone ove-” “Please shut up,” Yugyeom groans, wondering if he could replace his best friend with any of his other friends. Youngjae, the pianist with a loud laugh had been a huge help for his modern dance performance last year, and he was a pretty nice guy. 

 

Sadly, Bambam knows him better than anyone, and Yugyeom could never replace him, no matter how obnoxious he got. So Yugyeom just sighs, ”He told me to try this oil? And it worked like a charm. Literally.” 

 

“Modern medicine is an amazing thing, I agree,” Bambam nods, slinging his long legs across Yugyeom’s lap. “But Jabari sounds more like a pharmacist, Gyeom.” 

 

“Nah, it’s more than that,” Yugyeom shakes his head, shifting in his seat with Bambam’s feet on his thigh. “The way he said it sounded a little shady to me.” And there’s also the way Jaebum smiles and how it makes his skin tingle, like he’s being blessed by his neighbour’s beauty. 

 

“Hmm,” Bambam yawns, shifting to prop his head under a cushion just as Yugyeom curls up next to him. “You better investigate before Halloween comes around then.” “When’s Halloween?” Yugyeom mirrors Bambam’s yawn, wiping off his dirty hands on a stray napkin. 

 

“It’s next week,” Bambam murmurs, nestling closer to Yugyeom. It’s a habit of theirs to fall asleep huddled together after hanging out, and weirdly, Yugyeom sleeps better with Bambam’s presence. “So you better find out, before he eats you alive.” 

 

_ Maybe I’d like that _ , Yugyeom thinks, snickering softly before he drifts off, his mind filled with cats and potions and full moons. 

 

☆’.･.･:★’.･.･:☆’.･.･:★

 

But there’s no time for investigating, not when Yugyeom finds himself caught up in a mad flurry of school and dance. He doesn’t get to talk to Jaebum either, much to his disappointment- he only manages to catch a glimpse of the shadow of a cat’s tail, soft disco-funk music coming from the opposite apartment when the sky gets dark. 

 

He can’t help but sulk though, and of course, Bambam notices. 

 

“Are you seriously moping about him again?” Bambam asks as they lay sprawled on the floor of the dance studio after a particularly gruelling session. Yugyeom flinches, “I wasn’t thinking-  _ moping _ \- over Jaebum, what do you mean-”

 

“I didn’t say anything about Jaebum?” Bambam smirks and Yugyeom feels his sweaty face heat up rapidly. “I-” “Calm down, Gyeom,” Bambam laughs, more gently this time, “It’s okay to miss someone you like, I was just teasing.” 

 

“I haven’t seen him in days,” Yugyeom mutters into a towel, knowing full well that he sounds like a toddler throwing a tantrum- _ but he’s tired and sweaty, so who cares? _ “Don’t worry, Gyeom,” Bambam looks like he wants to give him a hug, but he settles for a quick pat on Yugyeom’s knee,”I’m sure he’s just attending to his witch business, since today’s Halloween and all-” 

 

Oh right, it was Halloween. 

 

“Wanna spend the night at mine? We could binge Halloween movies?” Yugyeom nudges Bambam, who replies with an apologetic smile. 

 

“I’m going to see Halloween with Ten later as a test of courage,” Bambam shrugs. “I could walk you home though?” Yugyeom’s heart sinks a little, but he manages to muster a smile. Maybe he could skype his cousin Jackson, who lived on the other side of the globe. “It’s fine, I’ll go home alone, have fun with Ten!”

 

Bambam starts to say something, but Yugyeom just tugs him towards the showers, not wanting to further discuss the matter. 

 

The sky is almost completely dark when Yugyeom trudges back to his apartment alone, hair damp and utterly exhausted. He contemplates going straight to sleep, feeling like passing out after he puts away his dirty clothes. But his stomach grumbles, and he musters every drip of strength he has in him to heat up some leftover cheese tteokbokki. 

 

Yugyeom barely manages to pop the container in the microwave when someone rings the doorbell.  _ Was it Bambam, changing his mind and coming back to keep him company? _ Yugyeom thinks as he shuffles to answer the door. 

 

Halloween miracles don’t come that easily, and Yugyeom finds himself facing a mummy, a vampire, and- um, Hyunjin. “Trick or treat!” The kids chirp in their costumes, and Yugyeom can’t help but smile as Jeongin gives him a fanged grin. 

 

“Hey kids,” Yugyeom squats down to greet the kids properly as Seungmin spits out a stray piece of toilet paper, formerly part of his costume. “Nice costumes! Hyunjin, uh, what are you dressed as?” 

 

Hyunjin doesn’t look much different than how he usually appears, dressed simply in a hoodie and shorts. He looks happy enough, though, flashing Yugyeom a gap-toothed grin as Jeongin pretends to bite Seungmin. “I’m dressed as Hyunjin! Mum says I’m allowed to, because, because… I dunno why, actually.” 

 

“Well, I think you look exactly like Hyunjin!” Yugyeom can’t resist pinching Hyunjin’s soft cheeks lightly. The kids that lived in the apartment building were just too cute. 

 

“So trick or treat, hyung?” Seungmin pipes up and Yugyeom thinks,  _ oh shit _ . He laughs awkwardly, reaching over to the candy jar, high up on the cupboard where the kids couldn't see. 

 

The jar is empty. 

 

_ Crap _ , Yugyeom panics as the kids stare at him with expectant eyes. He tries to stall by bending down to initiate conversation again. “Jeongin-ah, is Huber-your father- with you guys? It doesn't seem safe for you three to roam around unsupervised.” 

 

Yugyeom sounds like his nagging older brother (bother), but Jeongin chirps happily anyway, ”He's waiting for us upstairs!” 

 

Hyunjin, however, is less easily distracted. “So you don't have any candy?” He squints at Yugyeom, who laughs nervously as he ducks in the kitchen. 

 

“Ta-da!” Trying to sound as perky as possible, Yugyeom hands out a bunch of cough drops left over from his cold. “Special candy for three very special boys!” The kids examine the cough drops with disinterest. 

 

“These are cough drops, though?” Seungmin asks, eyes puzzled as he looks up at Yugyeom, who feels like the worst adult ever. He coughs to hide his embarrassment, ”Yeah, sorry, hyung doesn’t have any candy-” 

 

“Bye hyung!” The children are gone before Yugyeom finishes his sentence, and closes the door feeling terrible. He takes the tteokbokki out of the microwave, but realises that his appetite is gone. 

 

_ But there’s no point in wasting food, _ Yugyeom tells himself, and he settles down in front of the couch, eyes glazing over whatever Halloween movie the television is showing. He gets into a comfy position, legs splayed across the sofa-  _ and maybe things aren’t all bad, because the way the cheese tteokbokki melts in his mouth is downright heavenly _ \- 

 

_ Ding dong! _ The doorbell rings again, and Yugyeom sighs. He doesn’t get up to answer the door right away, too lazy to do so- but the doorbell rings a second time, more insistently so, and he gets up reluctantly, half expecting his guest to be another young trick-or-treater. 

 

The  _ sorry, I don’t have any candy _ dies on Yugyeom’s tongue, however, when he finally opens the door. “Jaebum? Hyung?” 

 

“Hi,” Jaebum smiles, handsome in a plain black sweater, even though his hair is messy and there’s a faint glimmer of panic in his eyes. “Are you free right now? I kind of, really need help?” 

 

“I-” Yugyeom casts a longing gaze at his tteokbokki, lying forlornly on his couch. But Jaebum looks desperate, eyes scanning Yugyeom’s features anxiously, and he gives in. “I’m free, how can I help?” 

 

“Oh, thank you so much.” Jaebum’s relief is evident, broad shoulders relaxing and lips curving charmingly as he smiles at Yugyeom. “Come with me,” Jaebum beckons, and a thrill jolts through Yugyeom’s entire body as he hastens to follow.

 

Maybe this Halloween wasn’t going to end up terrible. 

 

☆’.･.･:★’.･.･:☆’.･.･:★

 

“Right, so here’s the thing,” Jaebum says as he leads Yugyeom to his apartment. (Yugyeom knows that he should be cautious about strangers and entering their apartments, but Jaebum’s at least an acquaintance at this point.) He stares at Jaebum’s apartment, fascinated, as he takes off his sneakers at the door. 

 

For a witch, Jaebum’s apartment was more colourful than Yugyeom had expected. The walls were painted pale blue, and there wasn’t any witchy apparel in the living room. Instead, there were cat toys littered on the floor, cat towers on either side on Jaebum’s couch. 

 

Hearing a soft purr, Yugyeom looks down to find a tiny grey kitten circling his foot, staring up at him with its stunning emerald eyes. He can’t help but coo at the kitten’s overflowing cuteness, but he shrinks away awkwardly as Jaebum picks the kitten up, seemingly wanting to hand the kitten to Yugyeom. 

 

“Sorry, I’m allergic to cats,” Yugyeom explains hurriedly. “I can stand being around them, but if I get too close I start sneezing.” “It’s fine,” Jaebum chews on his bottom lip nervously. “I have a few cats, but I’ll try to keep them out of the way.”

 

“Wow,” Yugyeom notices two other cats, one white and the other a light brown colour, sleeping in one of the cat towers. They weren’t black like what Yugyeom would’ve expected a witch’s pets to be, but Jaebum clearly adored his felines. “Three could be a handful, but they’re cute.” 

 

“Um, actually,” Jaebum smiles sheepishly as a grey tabby trots out of the corridor, followed closely by a yawning Siamese. Yugyeom’s nose itches, but the way Jaebum squats down to pet his cats gently is downright adorable, ”Five cats?” 

 

“Six, actually,” Jaebum straightens, brows furrowed in worry. “One of my cats got lost when I came home from work, and I think he sneaked out from the window or something, so I need some help looking for him.” Yugyeom sniffs, but his allergies are kinder to him than expected, and he doesn’t feel any worse than a slightly blocked nose. 

 

“How can I help?” Yugyeom asks, heart stuttering at how Jaebum lights up, eyes curving into soft crescents, ”I’m glad you asked.” 

 

Yugyeom feels like he’s dreaming when Jaebum leads him out of the apartment, locking the door after them. (“Can’t risk another one getting lost, right?”) They walk together in silence, but he doesn’t feel awkward, taking the opportunity to gaze at Jaebum instead. 

 

Jaebum’s features are delicately sculpted, from the strong arch of his eyebrows to the twin moles on his eyelid. He looks exquisite, to the point where Yugyeom finds it difficult to breathe, especially when Jaebum turns sideways-

 

“Hey,” Jaebum says as they stop near the rubbish room. “Could you look around the corridors while I take a look inside? My cat likes hiding in the potted plants, the ones people have outside their apartments.” 

 

“Sure,” Yugyeom nods, trying very hard not to stare as Jaebum rolls up his sleeves. “What does your cat look like?” “Oh, right,” Jaebum raises his eyebrows, lips cracking open to reveal a toothy smile. “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you that- He’s a tiny black cat with yellow eyes.” 

 

“A black cat, huh? Fitting” Yugyeom can’t help but laugh- a black cat, just in time for Halloween. Jaebum laughs too, but his eyes are anxious, and Yugyeom suddenly feels bad. 

 

“I’ll go now,” He says, trying to reassure Jaebum, who nods and turns towards the rubbish room. “And Jaebum?” Yugyeom calls before he walks away. “We’ll find him, don’t worry.” 

 

Jaebum turns around to look at Yugyeom, eyes strangely intense. It could be Yugyeom’s imagination as well, but his cheeks look pinker than usual. “Yeah,” He smiles, so attractive that Yugyeom’s heart breaks a little. “We will.”  

 

Yugyeom embarks on his task then, walking along the corridor and ducking down to peer in flower pots. Jaebum joins him shortly after, coming back from the rubbish room empty-handed. He looks (reasonably) glum, so Yugyeom gets the bright idea to start some small talk as they search. 

 

“Hey, uh, hyung?” Yugyeom tries softly as he bends down to squint inside a neat row of pink flower pots. On the other side of the same corridor, Jaebum hums, ”Yeah?”

 

“Oh, I just realised that I don’t really know much about you, even though we’re neighbours and stuff-” Yugyeom rambles, noticing how the tips of Jaebum’s eyes turn red.  _ This was a bad decision,  _ Yugyeom mourns, feigning interest in a nearby shoe rack. 

 

“So you’re a student?” Jaebum says, much to Yugyeom’s surprise. He’s wearing a tiny smile when Yugyeom gasps at him, one that makes his insides go all tingly. “Yeah,” Yugyeom utters, nodding dumbly. “What about you?” 

 

“I’m a songwriter,”  _ Okay, witch. _ Yugyeom thinks to himself. Jaebum had 6 cats, an extensive knowledge of herbs and made Yugyeom felt all fluttery every time he was near. That seemed more witchy than uh, songwriter-y to him, but he smiles politely at Jaebum anyway. 

 

They make their way through all the corridors on their floor in no time, exchanging light conversation as they comb through flowerpots and shoe racks, but there’s no sign of Jaebum’s black cat. 

 

“I guess I’ll just have to ask management later,” Jaebum sighs, defeated as they wind back up at their adjacent apartments. Yugyeom can’t help but feel bad for him as Jaebum fumbles with his keys, eyes downcast, ”I’m sure he’s alright, cats disappear from time to time, don’t they?” He offers, recalling what he had seen on a cat documentary once- or was it a documentary on parrots?

 

There’s a sudden halt to Jaebum’s motions. “Actually-” Jaebum clears his throat, glancing at Yugyeom warily. “There’s something I could try, but I’ll need your help, and it’s- it’s kind of weird-” Jaebum seems to glow in the faint hall light, and to be honest- Yugyeom’s wanted to see a real witch do magic for years. 

 

“Yeah, I could help.” Jaebum’s eyes widen cutely, and Yugyeom’s heart does a tap dance. “Really? That’s- that’s great.” He lets Yugyeom into his house quickly, even taking the effort to lock his cats in a room for a bit. The gesture is sweet, Yugyeom thinks, but a bit pointless since he’s going to be Jaebum’s assistant to look for his cat anyway. 

 

“Just hold on for a second-” Jaebum reappears as Yugyeom sits down on an armchair. “I need to grab something, make yourself comfortable!” “Sure,” Yugyeom calls back, adrenaline running through his veins as he anticipates what Jaebum would bring out- a wand, perhaps? Bambam was going to be  _ so _ jealous. 

 

Yugyeom closes his eyes for a moment, imagining what his first enchanted ritual would be like- maybe Jaebum would wave his wand and conjure the missing kitten, or make a potion to turn something into his cat? He shivers a little at that- was that why Jaebum needed his help for? He wouldn’t mind being Jaebum’s kitten, but cats couldn’t dance with their tiny paws, so that wasn’t ideal-

 

“Are you sleeping?” Yugyeom opens his eyes to find Jaebum squinting at him, holding a large ladder. “No, no- is that a ladder?” “Yeah,” Jaebum looks at Yugyeom like he’s grown a third head. “It’s a bit wobbly, but it’ll do.” 

 

“Wait, so you don’t have a wand or anything?” Yugyeom blurts, “You don’t have to think of an excuse or anything, I’m perfectly fine with the witchy stuff- totally not freaked out or whatever.” “A what?” The corners of Jaebum’s lips twitch, and Yugyeom feels a little scared.  _ Was Jaebum going to kill him for knowing that he knew magic?  _

 

“A wand,” Yugyeom repeats meekly, suddenly nervous. “Or anything you use to make magic? You’re the first witch I’ve ever met, so I just guessed.” “I’m a witch?” Jaebum’s laughing now, two rows of neat, white teeth on display. Yugyeom gulps, watching as he leans on the ladder, 

chortling, ”Yeah?” 

 

“I don’t know how you came to that conclusion, but no, I’m not a witch,” Jaebum’s still giggling, much to Yugyeom’s embarrassment. “If I was one, I would’ve summoned Jinyoung -my kitten- with a spell or something already-” 

 

Jaebum dissolves into a fresh round of giggles, and Yugyeom flushes bright red. “Then how do you explain the potion you were brewing the other day?” “Po-potion?” Jaebum barks an incredulous laugh before pursing his lips in thought. “Oh, I was boiling some Chinese medicine for one of my friends some time ago, but I can’t brew any potions.” 

 

“You-” Yugyeom fumbles for an answer as Jaebum wraps his arms around the ladder- he’s never wanted to be a ladder so bad. ”You have six cats!” Jaebum simply smiles, and it's ridiculous how his smile still makes Yugyeom’s heart do weird things, ”People like cats, Yugyeom.” 

 

“Uh,” Yugyeom blanks, he’s completely destroyed his image as a nice, helpful neighbour. “You needed my help for something weird-” “Oh, that,” Jaebum nods. “It’s a bit weird, but Jinyoung likes listening to Frank Sinatra, so I thought I’ll climb into the ceiling cupboard to pick out some old vinyls-” 

 

“-so you needed me to help you hold the ladder?” Yugyeom suggests weakly, feeling his life force fade as Jaebum nods, eyes serious.  _ Okay, maybe his neighbour was the weird one,  _ Yugyeom thinks in a daze as Jaebum replies, ”Actually, do you wanna continue this witch talk later? I miss Jinyoung, and it’s Halloween, so I don’t wanna leave him alone for the night.”

 

“Yeah- okay,” Yugyeom shifts awkwardly to where Jaebum positions the ladder, steadying it with both hands as Jaebum climbs on to pull aside the door of the storage space. Jaebum vanishes into the cupboard almost entirely, only leaving his feet on the ladder, but Yugyeom hears a delighted gasp shortly afterwards. 

 

“He’s here!” Jaebum calls and Yugyeom frowns, ”Frank Sinatra?” “No,” Jaebum reemerges from the cupboard, cupping a tiny black kitten in his hands, ”I found Jinyoung!” The kitten squints at Yugyeom sleepily, and he recoils as Jaebum descends from the stairs with his cat. 

 

“Oh right, your allergies,” Jaebum places the kitten carefully on a cat tree before turning back to Yugyeom, the bright grin on his face making Yugyeom’s heart race. “Thank you so much, Yugyeom, I couldn’t’ve done this without you.” 

 

“No problem, sorry I thought you were uh-” Yugyeom shrugs, “-a witch.” Jaebum laughs, which only serves to make Yugyeom feel more sheepish, ”Keep going, you haven’t told me all the evidence pointing towards me being a witch.” 

 

And so Yugyeom does. They talk over some kimchi stew, which Jaebum swears isn’t enchanted or conjured by magic. He tells Jaebum about the  eucalyptus oil (“I learnt that from a documentary”), listens to Jaebum ramble about his job -which was as far away from magical as it could get, according to Jaebum- and finds himself falling even more as Jaebum’s eyes twinkle at him across the table. 

 

It’s a shame that Yugyeom has to leave, when he looks up to see the clock strike twelve- “Ah, I’ve stayed for too long,” He says, blushing a little at the way Jaebum pouts a little. “I should go now.” 

 

“It’s okay, I had lots of fun,” Jaebum grins, standing up to take Yugyeom’s bowl. “Maybe we could do this some time again?” “What, searching for your cat?” Yugyeom replies absent-mindedly, distracted by the way Jaebum’s collar dips down to reveal pale skin. 

 

“No,” Jaebum chuckles. “Eating and talking together, like a date or something?” “A-a date?” Yugyeom jolts upright- maybe Bambam’s right, his daydreams  _ have _ gotten out of hand. 

 

But Jaebum’s answering smile is warm and real, sending currents down Yugyeom’s veins. “Yeah, a date.” “I’ll like that,” Yugyeom answers faintly. _ If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up, _ he thinks to himself. 

 

Yet it’s real, it’s all real, when Jaebum asks for his number shyly and bids him goodnight at the door, Youngjae nipping at his ankles as Yugyeom slips into his sneakers. 

 

“Happy Halloween, Yugyeom,” Jaebum gives Yugyeom’s shoulder a tentative, fond pat as he closes the door, and he decides that  _ no, there’s definitely something magical about Jaebum _ , because how else could he conjure butterflies, flitting in Yugyeom’s stomach, just like that?

 

Odd, but Yugyeom decides that he has plenty of time to investigate anyway. 

 

(He comes to the conclusion that Jaebum is in fact not a witch, when they’re on their third date and Jaebum accidentally knocks over 2 crystal balls the cafe has for decoration, but it doesn’t really matter, not when Jaebum holds his hand on the way back home, and Yugyeom remains stupidly enchanted.)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
